The winter transfer window will re-open in just a few weeks' time which means that Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson will have started writing his Christmas wish list to prioritise his wants and needs.
Whether he will tread the traditional route of astute, cost-effective signings, or go out in a blaze of glory with a rather sizeable cheque to spend on new recruits for the first time since his days at Anfield, the former Liverpool manager will be keen to avoid making a similar mistake to the one that he made with infamous Palace flop Alexander Sorloth, which is why it's quite surprising he is reportedly considering a swoop for Marcos Alonso.
That's right folks, Palace are interested in signing the Chelsea left-back as a potential Patrick van Aanholt alternative.
According to The Daily Mail, Alonso is one of several options being considered to replace Van Aanholt if the popular Dutchman does depart Selhurst Park, with the Eagles also keeping tabs on Marseille's Jordan Amavi.
However, the Palace gaffer should steer clear of signing the total liability, as he already has the perfect replacement in Tyrick Mitchell.
The Spaniard hasn't featured for Frank Lampard's side since the start of the season, as he has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge, whilst he is averaging just 0.3 tackles and 0.3 blocks per game in the Premier League so far, via WhoScored.
By comparison, Mitchell is managing 4 tackles per game in the top flight so far this season, as per WhoScored.
Rio Ferdinand recently criticised Alonso for his "silly" mistake, whilst former Blues midfielder Joe Cole was equally scathing in his assessment after he saw red during the 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last season.
The Eagles shouldn't even touch Alonso with a barge pole, let alone when you consider the fact that his market value is currently estimated at £16.2m via Transfermarkt, which implies that he won't come cheap as his contract is set to expire in 2023. At 29 years of age, it wouldn't make much sense, especially with Mitchell waiting in the wings.
Hodgson has been full of praise for the young prospect, saying he could become the next Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He told Sky Sports:
“Tyrick got his chance last season when Patrick dislocated his shoulder and he has taken that chance well and really continued it since the start of the new season.
“I hope he will continue to improve and I hope people won’t start to put exceptional pressure on him because he’s still a very young man and he’s still in the absolute nursery in terms of his career.
“Aaron [Wan-Bissaka] looked very much like Tyrick when he came in and took the game by storm, and he made the position his own very quickly.
“I wouldn’t disagree that in terms of being thrown in with no-one knowing much about him, I think there’s a direct parallel between the two players.”
Mitchell, who first burst onto the scene towards the closing stages of last season, is one of several players with deals set to expire in 2021. But the 21-year-old has established himself as the club's first-choice left-back in recent weeks. If that hasn't earned the academy graduate a new deal, we don't know what will.
AND in other news, Crystal Palace got rid of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the perfect time...